To be a teacher, you have to have love, patience and dedication. Always think of your work as a challenge, not a problem.
I started working at Morris Isaacson High School in Soweto in 1990. I was excited to be in a job that I trained and studied for at university.
For the first few months, I had the challenge of disciplining learners who had grown up during political unrest in the country – especially around 1976 and onwards.
This situation prevailed for some time. I began to lose interest in my job, simply because I thought teaching them was enough. They were supposed to show their appreciation by respecting me and remaining disciplined.
I remembered my parents teaching me that a problem shared is a problem halved. I shared the challenges that I experienced with one of my colleagues who happened to have taught at the school for a long time.
He then taught me that I should always look beyond the behaviour that learners displayed as that may just be a camouflage for a painful life at home. When I put the advice to the test, I discovered that hunger and poverty were the sources of most learners’ behaviour. Naturally, I knew that I had to help them.
I started sharing my lunch with them. Later, I gave them tea with bread and peanut butter or jam. From then on, I knew I was in the right job. It felt so right and so good. I was so satisfied and would go back home knowing that I was able to bring a smile to someone’s face.
In 2003, my colleague and friend (Shirley Makutoane) and I met three ladies at a function, and after a very long discussion with them about the experiences at our school, they wanted to help.
Makutoane invited me to a meeting with them and they committed themselves to buying groceries out of their own pockets on a monthly basis. Now, we prepare meals daily and feed learners during lunch breaks.
Today, I can proudly say we have a feeding scheme that has been running ever since. My thanks go to the three ladies. My schedule is very hectic at work but I have never felt too tired to get up and go to school. Instead, I have found true fulfilment and satisfaction in the job I am doing. I would not exchange it for any other job. My strong passion for teaching drives me forward every day. This is why I still find time to feed the children despite being tremendously busy as a vice-principal.
Mercy Letsoalo is vice-principal at Morris Isaacson High School.